One may wonder, at the actual degree of faith in the optimistic expectation, of the revered Founding Fathers, experienced politicians, literati and philosophers, that their newly created Democratic Republic, actually would realize their famously articulated, optimistic prognostications. As we read the founding history, Thomas Jefferson instructively and perhaps, warningly, declared that for a democracy to be successful, it requires an informed and literate society. Based upon such expectation, the founders assumed that that members of the new American Society, would, in good faith, engage in debates regarding subjects of controversy; the results of which would inform the legislators, thus effecting the idealistic goal of “a government by and for the people.” It boggles the mind, to speculate that these wise prognosticators completely overlooked the eternal nature and proclivities of the perverse human persona.
It requires no especial competency or discernment to observe the recent, tragic death of civic amity, manifested by the disappointing behavior of citizens of divergent political persuasion. Those who differ in opinion are considered by others, to be arch enemies; forming insular groups, the members of which are people of like opinion, and effectively waging propaganda -like war against like groups of divergent views. This disappointing phenomenon has resulted in a fractured and deeply divided nation; hardly the vibrant, cooperatively run and dedicated democratic republic envisioned by our idealistic, “pie-in-the-sky”, founders.
In disappointing contrast to the envisioned democratic Nation, consisting of well-informed, literate and involved citizens, the insular, divided society that developed, in large part, disparages learning and scholastic pursuits, in favor of ephemeral, common and cheap diversion. Consistent with such pronounced downgrading of education and the pursuit of knowledge, it has elected, and elevated to the Oval Office, an ignorant, incapable, criminal and bigoted, former television game show host. As a result, we are fearful that national leaders will, precedentially, no longer come from the Nation’s universities or its established institutions of government, but from the tawdry pits of populist afternoon television. It may well be the case, that a great many Trump supporters value the cheap entertainment furnished by his caricatured behavior, over our nation’s proper governance and destiny.
As a part of our Nation’s largely, reductionist-populist mode, we are confronted with a popular denial of the findings of world-class scientists concerning man-made climate change. This display of ignorance may, by degrees, eventuate, so that our (still) verdant planet is, eventually, degraded to the replication of the lifeless, rocky Moon. It is dangerous and revealing, that considerable numbers of uneducated, populist, flat- earth people have been tactically, and successfully, manipulated, in this area, by big- time, entrepreneurial polluters who greedily and psychopathically, value short term profits, over human life.
It is only such poorly informed and demagogically pliable citizens, that could have been such a significantly important factor, in the elevation to the Oval Office, of a disgraceful, incapable and embarrassing persona like Donald J. Trump; evidently, a completely ignorant, hopelessly inept, attention seeking adolescent, who has, improperly and shamelessly, turned the Oval Office into a shopping mall for the profit of his family, and his elected position, into a profitable vehicle for the blatant violation of our Constitution’s Emolument Clause. To add fuel to the fire, he is also an outspoken bigot and a perpetrator of serial mendacity. Do we need more? He is a woman abuser, a critic of our established media, a friend to despotic rulers and an enemy of our historic friends. The list is too full for any patient delineation.
We are disturbed, that the Democratic Party has been, expressly and insecurely, concentrating its efforts on seeking a “Candidate who can defeat Trump” (albeit, a complete failure as President, with an obnoxious persona), rather than a Candidate with the traditional American values and citizen empathy, the Democratic Party’s historic and appropriate mantra. Is this a confirmation and acceptance, of the steep decline in the estimation of the quality of the American citizen? Heaven or Mother Nature, help us!!
-p.
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